<p>Hi everyone; I know it's long, but please take your time to read what I wrote. </p>
<p>I'm an international student from Hong Kong, and I live with a family in the U.S. during academic years. Until my junior year, I went to a school in Hong Kong, and the students (including myself) weren't really "pushed", or motivated to try harder. I know that sounds strange for a school in Hong Kong, but it's the truth. I was a mediocre student there, and until it was almost too late, I decided I want to go to a good college, and decided to apply to a good school in the U.S. to increase my chances of acceptance, and escape the excuse for a school I went to.</p>
<p>I somehow got accepted by a private school in California. I entered as a junior. The students of this school, unlike the students of my previous, are very competitive. As far as I know, my class (~55 students) is one of the best the school ever had. Almost everyone took six to seven classes, of which two to four are Advanced Placement courses, and took its respective examinations at the end of the year. It's also no surprise to see high SAT scores (>2200) here. In contrast, I tried six classes, of which two were AP, but dropped AP Chemistry because I found it too difficult. I also took AP U.S. History but everyone in my class did; a score of 4 is a reach for me. My SAT score is a mere 1870, although I plan to take it again. My grades were even worse -- my best grade was a B. </p>
<p>As for ECs, I haven't done anything that stands out in particular. I was on the Soccer team for a while but was pulled out because my grades were horrible. I was able to join the Golf team next semester, but I didn't have any special role. Over winter break, I managed to get 20 hours of community service acting as a sort of editor for a non-profit that teaches English to students in rural China using technology. This summer, I'm interning for a private equity firm and will be going on a trip to use the aforementioned technology to teach kids in rural China English. After that, I'll be attending the Crimson Summer Exchange at the University of Hong Kong. I applied for Leadership in the Business World (a summer institute at Wharton) but was put on the waiting list and rejected a month later. I will also be studying Calculus AB over the summer.</p>
<p>I'm taking seven classes next year. For AP English Lit. only the top twenty or so students (I don't think I'm even close) can take it because there's only going to be one class, but I'm not exactly sure. Let's just say I might only take four AP courses. I'll also be taking part in Cross Country next semester. </p>
<p>If my first semester grades are good, my SAT scores improve dramatically, and I make it to the varsity team for Cross Country, do you guys think I have any chance whatsoever for places like Wharton?</p>
<p>If you did, thanks for reading all of that.</p>
<p>Best,
geetar</p>